Loading fixture for film holders



June 12, 1923. 1,458,262

E. C. ALLEN ET AL LOADING FIXTURE FOR FILM HOLDERS Filed Sept, 2, 1921 ffy/f7 Fl l, fffgnrf l ,Jx-'f/ Il 'if 0 n I 'l n WWW- wlINEss FI l |NvENToR5,

ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 12, 1923. l

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST C. ALLEN AND GEORGE F. PHILLIPS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS T EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW' YORK, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

LOADING FIXTURE FOR FILM HOLDERS.

Application filed September 2, 1921.

T 0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ERNEST C. ALLEN and GEORGE F. PnILLrrs, citizens of the United States 0f America, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loading Fixtures for Film Holders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to photography and more particularly to loading fixtures for photographic film holders or hangers, and has for its object to provide a simple, compact and durable xture for loading such hangers rapidly.l To these ends the improvements are directed particularly to the means for holding a hanger upright in a convenient position for loading; to means for using a variety of different sized hangers in a single loading fixture; to means for properly guiding the film edges into the holder; and to means for guiding a hanger into the fixture in total or partial darkness. With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

3U While our fixture is adapted for use with a number of different types of film holders, it is particularly adapted for use with one of the type shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,363,184, N. E. Luboshez, granted Dec. 21,

1920; and such a film holder is shown, by way of illustration, in unshaded lines in the drawings. Hangers of the Luboshez type can be loaded without any fixture at all, but when a large quantity of work is to be turned out in a minimum time, a loading fixture such as will be fully described in this specification saves much time and trouble, and increases the ease with which the film can be guided into-position. n This is particularly useful with thelarger sizes of film, as the film is liable to buckle and thus fail to enterthe lower groove of the holder unless guided into place.

In the drawings, in which like reference characters denote like parts throughout:

Fig. l1 is a perspective view of a loading fixture constructed in accordance with, and illustrating, one form of our invention with a film holder in loading position and a film partially inserted;

Serial No. 498,017.

Fig. 2 is a section across the loading fixture with a film holder partially moved towards the loading position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the holder seated, and a film being guided into position;

Fig. 4C is a. fragmentary section through the line %i, but with the addition of a portion of a film holder between the rollers;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the fixture, and

Fig. 6 is a modified form of film guiding roller.

As the film holder itself, designated genorally by the letter H, forms no part of our invention, it is shown in unshaded lines. The loading fixture consists of a flat base 1, which may have holes 2 (only one being shown in the drawing) through which screws may pass to hold the base in a convenient location. Since it is most convenient to load a film holder by entering the film in the top and allowing it to drop by gravity into the holder, we provide means for positioning the holder in an erect position by means of upwardly extending arms 3-3 having slotted guideways 4 4 terminating on their upper ends in outwardly fiared tops 5 5, to render the insertion of a film holder a simple matter even in complete or partial darkness. These arms are preferably tilted slightly to one side of the vertical, so that a film F can be more conveniently slid into upper open ends 0 ofthe side channels of holder H.

Film guiding` rollers 6 and 7 are carried by shafts 8 and 9 which are supported in the .slots 10 and 11 in the arms 3 3, the con struction being the same in each case. These slots permit the shafts to move from the innermost position, shown in Fig. 3, to the outermost positionwhich is the limit set by the turn screws 13, there being one of these over the end of each of the four slots. A spring 13 passing about a turn screw 14 and having the ends encircling shafts 8 and 9 tends to hold the rollers in their innermost position. One of these springs is carried by each arm 3.

If the loading fixture is to take only one size of holder, the holder H will be supported on each side by the guide slots 4-4 in arms 3-3, and the rollers 6 and 7 may be of the same diameter throughout, such a roller being shown in Fig. 6, but as most CII users desire a number of different size film holders, We support the smaller sizes by means of one guide slot l and reduced supporting surfaces 15-16 out in the rollers (i and 7, the diameter being such that they contact With the holder II when the rollers are in their innermost position, as shown in Fig. a. In the present embodiment still additional supporting surfaces 1?-18 are out in the rollers, so that this fixture Will care for three different sizes of film holders. In Fig. l. the intermediate size is shown in position for loading a film.

When the holder is in loading position, the space 20 between rollers 6 and 7 is approximately that of the thickness of the film, and a portion ofthe periphery of the rollers forms a guide tapering to the center line of the shafts Which guides the film accurately throughout its length into the bottom channel B of the holder Il. The springsfi permit the passage of channel B through the rollers 6 and 7 as the holder is slid into operative position with at least one side in a guiding slot Ll, as the rollers momentarily7 separate as channel B passes through to the base 1.

The operation of our loading fixture is as follows: The holder II (which We will a, sume is of the intermediate size as illustrated in Fig. l) is thrust into loading posi` tion by entering one side into the outwardly flared top 5 of a guideway 1f, and lowering' the holder until the bottom passes tlnfough the rollers to the base l.. The supporting surfaces 15-16 of rollers 6 and 7 Contact With and hold the side of the holder which is not engaged by the guidevfay l. rlhe holder now stands at an angle to the base. in a position in which the film F can be readily introduced into the side channels. The angle which the holder makes to the base. is not material, the essential feature being that the end through which the film is inserted shall be raised from the base a sufficient distance for convenient handling of the film. As the film slides down the channels, the rollers guide the lower edge into the channel at the bottom of holder H. A light pull re moves the holder from the fixture and it is ready for another holder,

Having thus described our invention, what we elaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A loading fixture for film holders, oomprising a base, and means on the base for supporting a film holder at an angle thereto.

2. A loading fixture for film holders, comprising a base, a guideWay on the base, and resilient means for engaging a portion of a film holder as the holder is moved down the guideway to support the holder in a loading position.

3. A loading fixture for film holders, comprising a base, means on the base for supporting a film holder in loading position at an angle to the base, and means for guiding the film into the holder.

a. A loading fixture for film holders, Comprising a base, arms extending upwardly from the base, said arms having guideivays adapted to position a film holder for loading, and means for guiding the film into the holder.

5. A loading fixture for filmholders, oomprising a base, arms extending upwardly from the base and adapted to position a. holder in loading position, and rollers earried by the arms adapted to guide the film into the holder.

6. A loading fixture for film holders, eomprising a base, lm guiding rollers, means for supporting the rollers including an arm supported by the base and having` a guide- Way, said rollers being adapted to position the film as it is slid into the holder.

7. A loading fixture for film holders, comprising a base, film guiding rollers, means for supporting` the rollers including an arm supported bythe base and having a guide Way, and means carried by the rollers for engaging a portion of the film holder.

8. A loading fixture for film holders, comprising a base, arms extending upwardly from the ends of' the base and having holder guideways, film guide rollers resiliently supported upon the arms, being adapted to separate for the insertion of a holder into loading position.

9. A loading fixture for a film holder, Consisting of a base, a supporting member earried by the base and having a guideivay for the holder, said'guideway terminating in an outwardly flared portion adapted to direct the holder into the guideway.

10. A loading fixture for film holders. Consisting of a base, a supporting member carried by the base for one side of a film holder, and spring actuated members :for engaging the other side of the film holder to position the holder for loading.

Il. A loading fixture for film holders, consisting of a base, supporting arms `Carried by the base, guideivays formed in the supporting` arms, and guide -rollers for directing the film into a film holder, said rollers being provided With a plurality of film holder supporting surfaces.

Signed at Rochester, New York, this 30th day of August, 1921.

ERNEST C. ALLEN. GEO. E PHILLIPS. 

